The Wind Is My Mother: The Life and Teachings of a Native American Shaman - Softcover

Bear Heart

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0425161609 ISBN 13: 9780425161609

Publisher: Jove Publications, 1998

Synopsis

With eloquent simplicity, Bear Heart, a full-blooded and traditionally trained healer of the Muskogee Creek tribe, shares a lifetime of training. In sections titled "The Cure Lies Within You" and "Learning How To Live," Bear Heart weaves together anecdotes and philosophy to show how traditional tribal wisdom can help us maintain mental, spiritual and physical health in today's world. We journey with him from his initiation into the Muskogee Creek's "medicine ways" in 1938 (when he walked unharmed through a den of rattlesnakes) to his role as a respected elder and counselor whose gentle words spring from a lifetime of service. He describes the lessons learned in ceremonies conducted in the sweat lodge and the Native American Church; he explains why Native people pray with peyote and smoke the Sacred Pipe and how vision quests can bring clarity and personal revelation. Throughout, Bear Heart's teachings stress the importance of self-knowledge, integrity, and being open to the guidance of the Great Spirit. Through inspiring stories and examples, he teaches us how to live.

About this title

Review

Praise for The Wind Is My Mother: The Life and Teachings of a Native American Shaman

"This fascinating book is a rare combination of universal truths and practical applications. It is an excellent manual for living a healthy life in a complex world."--John Gray, author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

"Bear Heart, a full-blooded Muskogee Creek Indian and one of the last 'trained' medicine men, shares this knowledge, combining it with his more formal, graduate [studies] in psychology to build a bridge between Native American and modern spirituality."--Publishers Weekly

"At once mystical and utterly practical, Bear Heart's message is not a call to conversion, but the testimony of a life so fully lived that it can heal others. To read it is to be inspired to live one's own life with more attention, harmony and hope."--Lorene Cary, author of If Sons, Then Heirs: A Novel

"Bear Heart, a Muskogee Creek Indian medicine man, tells his story, including his insights about receiving the power of the Great Spirit through fasting, chanting, and vision quests."--St. Petersburg Times

"Inspiring...Bear Heart weaves together anecdotes and philosophy demonstrating that traditional Native American wisdom can be applied in today's world to live a peaceful, balanced life. A charismatic storyteller, Bear Heart's autobiography is rich not only with the amazing accomplishments and wisdom of his life as a medicine man but also with the ages-old legends of his people."--Evolving Woman

About the Author

Marcellus "Bear Heart" Williams [1918-2008], born in Okemah, Oklahoma, was a full-blood spiritual leader of the Muskogee-Creek Nation trained in the traditional ways of his tribe. Highly regarded as a healer and counselor, he was also a respected leader of the Native American Church, Sun Danced with both the Northern and Southern Cheyenne people, and was an ordained minister in the American Baptist Church. He was asked to be one of the spiritual counselors for the fireman and their families after the Oklahoma City tragedy and put down prayers with the Fire Department at Ground Zero in November, 2001. Bear Heart helped thousands of people over the course of his life and his book, "The Wind Is My Mother," continues his life work of sharing wisdom and inspiration. For more information, visit www.TheWindIsMyMother.com Molly Larkin is a writer whose in-depth tutelage and spiritual practice under Native American elders have given her unique access to Native American perspectives and teachings. Molly lives in Los Angeles, California.

Edition details

• Publisher: Jove Publications
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0425161609
• ISBN 13: 9780425161609
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 288